But the Eyes Seem So Familiar
by HeatherAshley
Summary: Riddick goes to a war-ravaged Earth and he meets up with a woman...and she has mercs on her trail. Complete. Please leave some feedback, I'm always happy to hear it!! Updated...a few new tidbits here and there, you have to look for them though!
1. An Equal

Riddick really liked it here. I mean, sure, every once in a while he had an urge to go on a massive killing spree, but who didn't? And there was the small fact that there was probably a small army of mercs just waiting to see him and take him back to Slam. It didn't matter that he was supposed to be dead; they would hunt him until they found a body. But other that that life was good. He even heard from Jack and Imam every once in a while.  
  
The first thing that he had done upon his arrival was steal a car. A 1989 Camaro, white. It was practically his baby. And since Earth was so wasted by the war no one had ever bothered him about it.  
  
Riddick saw someone up ahead. Walking along the side of the road. Maybe he would pick them up...it would be the second good deed in his life. He must be going soft.  
  
The first thing he noticed when he stopped was that she looked a lot like Jack. Only her hair wasn't shaved. It was short, spiky and blonde. She was well built and looked like she could defend herself. She was wearing black leather pants, and boots, with a black tank top. And she had on sunglasses.  
  
Riddick leaned into the passenger side and rolled down the window. "Hey, you need a ride or something?" Riddick asked gruffly. The woman bent over to look in the car. He peeked at her over his own sunglasses, so that she could see his eyes. "You might not want to ride with me." Riddick grinned at her. It was obvious she was in her own little world.  
  
She squinted at him, not believing what her eyes saw. No, it couldn't be. "Funny. I was just thinking the same thing." With that said, she got in. After a moment, she peered at him some more. It had to be. "Oh my God...RIDDICK?!?!?" She grabbed for the door handle to try and get out but he was too fast for her. He grabbed her arm so tightly that his knuckles turned white.  
  
"How do you know who I am?" Riddick shouted at her, inches from her face. "Who are you?" For her part, she kept her composure as he ripped the sunglasses from her face. His own eyes stared back at him. Riddick let her go as if she had burned him. "You were in the Slam?" He couldn't hide the shock in his voice. Usually women, they didn't make it out...  
  
She grimaced. "I was in your block, Riddick. I'm Deianira." They only put murderers in that block. And Deia (as they called her) was almost as notorious as Riddick was. "I managed to escape. I had the perfect role model, after all. I just followed your lead. But somehow they found out that I came to Earth. There are mercs all over this planet. They want to take me back." No one who had been to the Slam feared anything worse.  
  
"Well, Deia. I am seriously considering killing you." She didn't even flinch, that would be better than going back. "You see, if I let you out of this car alive and the mercs caught up with you, you could tell them that I was here. They might even let you go for that information."  
  
Deia stared at Riddick. Then she shoved her fist into his nose and scrambled from the car. He roared and began to chase after her. As fast as Deia was, Riddick was faster. He tackled her. She rolled with the fall and was on her feet before him. She lashed out and kicked his ribs but before she could pull her foot away, he grabbed it and twisted. She fell to the ground again and he was on her. His arms pinned her and his body weight kept her from using her legs. Blood from his nose began to drip from his face onto her chest. "I have a tissue in my pocket. There's more in my bag." Riddick began to laugh, enjoying her fearlessness. "I haven't had this much fun in ages. Maybe I will keep you around for awhile."  
  
After he took her back to the car, Riddick tied Deia's hands behind her back using a piece of rope. Riddick felt her fear rise and he ignored the distaste in the back of his mind. He knew how it would feel to be tied up again. Apparently she wasn't too afraid. She tried to escape him that night. She failed miserably.  
  
They were together for months. After awhile he stopped tying her up and she stopped trying to escape. Riddick actually seemed to relax and enjoy himself in her company and Deia's feelings for him ran parallel to friendship and gradually deepened. They made a rather good team, Deia thought. He talked about his past and how he got into and out of Slam City. Deia talked about how she wanted to be a pilot. They practiced fighting against each other to stay in shape. But he always drove from place to place. As unsafe as it was, Deia wished they stayed in one place for more than a night. Yet she never left him.  
  
He pulled into the parking lot of a motel and went to get a room. She never asked how he got the money to pay for them and he never told her. He came back to the car and said: "Don't worry, I got a room with two beds." He grinned as she flinched. Deia was always tense after sharing a bed with him, though Riddick couldn't guess why. If he thought it was sexual tension, he was right. Not for the reasons he was thinking though... He'd mentioned it once and she had given him a glare that could melt stone. It didn't even faze him though.  
  
As they began to settle down for the night Riddick was watching TV and suddenly muted it. When Deia began to ask why, he hissed at her to shut up. He was listening for something.  
  
Then the door exploded and all hell broke loose. A dozen mercs flooded into the room all toting very expensive, very deadly weapons. Riddick and Deia fought like wild animals and brought down over half of them but eventually they were captured. They were bound and taken to an awaiting ship, where they were thrown in a cell together. A female merc stood in front of them, smirking. "All we wanted was the girl. But you," she pointed at Riddick. "You are an unexpected, very costly bonus." Laughing, she left.  
  
Deia quickly scanned the cell, looking for a possible escape. "Riddick! What the fuck are we going to do?"  
  
Riddick looked at her and she felt cold. "I don't know what you're going to do but I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to kill you." Deia felt a shiver of fear run down her spine.  



	2. Fry

Deianira turned from the wall she had been facing. "You won't kill me." She walked towards him, pushed him lightly on the chest and sneered. "You won't kill me because that would be doing me a favor."  
  
Grabbing the straps of Deia's tank top, Riddick slammed her into a wall. "There's worse things I can do to you." Then he back-handed her and she slumped, unconscious. He lowered her to the ground and began a thorough search of their cell. As he searched he thought about all of the prisons he had been in and escaped from: Let's see, there had been Hubble Bay Penal facility Ribald S Correctional Institute, Tangiers Penal Colony, and lastly, Ursa Luna maximum security prison, or Slam City. He would die before he went back there. Damnit, if he could escape from the Slam he could escape from this ship. Then his mind wandered to one escape...ah, during the Wailing Wars. He was the only one from his 'platoon' to leave those wars.  
  
Deia eyed Riddick through slitted eyes. Please, she thought. Riddick pulled his punch, he couldn't possibly think that she was unconscious. Well, she would soon find out...she had to ask him about Fry.  
  
Carolyn Fry had been Deia's best friend. They had worked together to become pilots and where Deia had failed, Fry had succeeded. Deianira when to Slam City and Carolyn had become Pilot Second Class aboard the Hunter-Gratzner but then the ship had crashed...and she hadn't heard anything about Fry since then.  
  
Very slowly and painfully Deia got to her feet. Riddick may not have hit her full-force but it still hurt like a bitch. He seemed to be lost in thought. She whispered, "Fry." She had heard that he knew her. Deia may have been incognito on that god-forsaken planet called Earth but she was still well-connected, Riddick had been on that ship and Deia knew it.  
  
He didn't turn around at the sound of Deia saying Fry's name. He didn't even visibly react. Deia had been expecting an outburst, even violence, but what happened scared her a thousand times as badly as any violence. He simply leaned against the wall, facing away from her and said: "Not for me." Then he turned and with an almost tired look on his face. "How do you know about Fry?"  
  
"She was my best friend...she's dead, isn't she?" Riddick moved to put his hand on Deia's shoulder, perhaps to offer comfort but she jerked away from him. "Tell me."  
  
Riddick did exactly that, he told her everything. He started with the plane crashing and ended with Carolyn dying for him. "She told me that she wouldn't die for me...and then she did. I tried to hold onto her hand, but it slipped. I tried to reach for her..." He looked into Deia's eyes. To her surprise they were filled with tears.  
  
She leaned toward him and held out her hand. He grasped it, that small token meaning more to him than he would ever say. "Come on, Riddick. Don't get all soft on me." She grinned. "We have to bust out of here. 


	3. Run

Deia began ripping the hem off of her leather pants, not an easy task. Riddick watched her with interest. Deia looked up at him and grinned. "See, the easy part is first. You tear out the hem with some rippers." She paused and tugged with her hands. The hem had finally given and several lockpicks fell out, along with a small round device. "Then you put the picks in, sew it back up, and voila. They've helped me out more times than I can say." Riddick picked up the round object. "You thought of everything, didn't you? This will short-curcuit any electrical lock."  
  
She walked to the door and after looking around, wrapped an arm around the bars to begin picking the lock. "The only hard part is doing it backwards," Deia mumbled to herself. She gazed at Riddick as she worked except for when she checked for gaurds. "Can you get us off this hunk of metal once we're out of here?"  
  
Riddick didn't even deign to answer that question. He just looked at her and snorted. Just then the door popped open. Deia grinned and bowed mockingly. "After you, fearless leader."  
  
"Why are there no guards?" Deia asked as they walked into the long hallway. "I haven't seen anyone since we got dumped in that cell."  
  
"They're probably preparing for take-off. Now be quiet." Deia made a face at him behind his back. Then her gaze wondered down his shoulders and back, before settling on his butt. Oh, Lord, but the man had a fabulous butt.  
  
Suddenly, Deia stopped walking. "...Riddick...run..."   
  
He turned to face her and was enraged by what he saw. Deia was standing there with her hand to her stomach. He couldn't see the blood because of her black clothing but he could smell it. Then she fell to her knees. Now he could see the guard, standing there so pale and frightened. He didn't hesitate when he threw his knife and watched as it was buried to the hilt in his skull. He didn't even have time to scream.  
  
Deia was in a bad way when Riddick knelt beside her. He checked her wound. Clean through, bleeding heavily. Oh, God. Riddick began to panic, something unheard of from him. Oh, God, she wasn't going to make it. "Riddick." He had been so focused on her stomach that he hadn't noticed she was looking at him.  
  
Suddenly, a memory flashed before him. Carolyn had looked at him the exact same way before she died. He saw rain, and a hand slipping away.  
  
"I would die for you." Riddick was jerked from the memory. She grabbed his hand. "I would die for you, Riddick." The I love you went unsaid. He pulled her to his chest, hugging her tightly but carefully. Everything started to go black for Deia and she felt a pair of lips brush her forehead.  
  
"NO," he roared, as he dragged her to her feet. "You aren't going to die today." 


	4. Free Bird

Deia didn't stretch when she woke up, she didn't groan. She simply opened her eyes. There was no pain now and that scared her. Oh, God, she thought. Her face crumpled and she fought off tears. Panic seared her brain. Deia sat up in bed only to fall back again.  
  
Finally, blessed pain. It calmed her down a little. She studied her surroundings. It looked like she was in a slummy hospital. Good, they didn't ask questions in slums. Everything was a dirty white color and looked sterile. It was bright and all the white hurt her sensitive eyes. Suddenly, Deia longed for some color. The moments before she had blacked out danced before her eyes. Riddick must have saved her. Where was he? Did he leave her?  
  
A doctor walked into her room. "Ah, Ms. Jane Doe has finally awoken. So, how are we feeling today?"  
  
She hated it when people asked how 'we' were feeling. "I got shot and damn near died, how would you be feeling? How did I get here?"  
  
Dr. Owens (at least that's what his nametag said) looking over her quickly and choosing to ignore her first comment, said: "We found you just outside the doors of our main entrance." Deia kept her eyes lowered, hoping he wouldn't see the shine on them.  
  
He had abandoned her. Tears began to leak from her eyes.  
  
"What's wrong, miss? Are you in pain?" Dr. Owens looked down at her with concern etched on his face.  
  
"Yes," Deia whispered.  
  
He pulled a hypodermic needle from his pocket and filled it with something. "This is a mild sedative and painkiller. It will help you sleep."  
  
The doctor studied Deia's blank face as he injected the drug. She looked familiar but he couldn't quite place it. Maybe he would ask around.  
  
Deia was aware that the doctor was studying her. He might even recognize her but she didn't care anymore. She just wanted to sleep. She watched as he walked briskly out of her room, and her gaze fell on a picture of a bird that hung crookedly on the wall. It was just taking flight and looked filled with hope.  
  
In her dream she saw the bird. It was blue, bright blue, and so beautiful. Suddenly, it began to fall. She ran towards it, but slowly...oh, so slowly. She didn't see it hit because of the tall grass of the meadow she was in. When she finally got there, the bird was cradled in Riddick's hands. He had a grin on his face that was more of a snarl. It was alive! She knelt down and looked into Riddick's eyes. Adoringly, he said: "Would you die for this bird?" Before Deia could answer, he crushed it in his hands.  
  
Deia awoke, tears staining her face. "I've never even seen a meadow," she whispered bitterly. It was night now, and she could see perfectly. I have to pee something fierce, she thought. She slowly got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. The pain killer must still be working, all she felt was an occasional twinge.  
  
After she used the bathroom Deia carefully lifted the bandage that covered most of her stomach. Then she groaned. It was a stitched mess.  
  
She quickly searched her room for her clothing. It was all there, even her tank top, though it was stiff with dried blood. Checking her pockets, she found all of her money was still there, though if she wasn't on Earth it wouldn't do her any good. Damn planet wouldn't even adopt the Universal Currency. She put all of the clothes on, longing for the sunglasses that Riddick had broken. Opening the door to her room, she glanced out into the hallway. The nurses station was right by the exit. Damn. She wasn't exactly inconspicuous, wearing dirty, bloody clothing. And one of the nurses was watching her room. Waiting until the nurse averted her gaze, she darted the opposite way.  
  
It was a maze of doors. She could borrow a doctor's coat and walk right out, like she saw in so many movies. As she neared the end of the hallway she heard voices. She ducked into a room and when she turned around she almost laughed. Dr. Owens was attending another patient. "Doctor, what a pleasant surprise." She met his gaze full on, knowing her eyes would shine in the light. "I need to borrow your coat." With that, she lashed out with her fist and as he fell, unconscious, she caught him.  
  
Looking at the patient in the room she put her fingers to her lips, slid on the coat and quickly made her exit.  
  
As Deia stepped out of the hospital, she didn't know whether to to be relieved or panicked. She was still on Earth but now the mercs knew she was here. Deia checked into a nearby hotel and asked when the next ship was leaving. This dump didn't get visited often, it could be weeks.  
  
"You're in luck," the elderly woman behind the counter said. "There's one coming tonight and leaving tomorrow." It didn't really matter where she went. She was alone.  
  
"Riddick," she whispered. 


	5. Sleep

Deia doubled over on the bed. The drugs had finally worn off. Tears gathered in her eyes and her clenched teeth grinded together from holding in a scream. Clutching at the bandage, she pulled it aside. She looked at her wound and grimaced as she saw that some of the stitches had popped. She had never felt this much pain before, physical or otherwise...not even when she had been used at the Slam. She would have to tell Riddick what happened, why she pulled away almost every time he tried to touch her. That is, if she ever saw him again. Useless banter, she thought. She was trying to keep her mind off the pain. Deia's vision grew gray around the edges and she passed out.  
  
She dreamed of Riddick. He was holding her close to him and she tried to struggle to get away but she couldn't move. Deia watched as a single tear fell from his right eye. It dripped down from his chin and landed on her cheek. She wanted to wipe it away and tell him not to worry, whatever was wrong would be ok but she was paralyzed. Then he put her down and began to walk away. Deia found she could move again and followed him. Suddenly they were in the middle of a dark, barren planet. Riddick turned to face her. "I'm so sorry, Carolyn." She saw his gaze shift over her left shoulder. Turning, she saw that she was surrounded by large bat-like creatures. One struck at her and sliced her open just below the breasts. Then they all began to attack. "Riddick! Help me...help me.." She reached out her hand to him and watched as he turned away.  
  
"No!" Deia sprang up from the bed, covered in a cold sweat. She moved unsteadily away from the bed and toward the door.  
  
Riddick was going to leave her. Deia had been a good companion, he would even go so far as to call her his friend. Something itched at the back of his mind but he ignored it. It wasn't love...he didn't even know what the word meant.  
  
He boarded the ship, looking around. It was freighter-passenger much like the Hunter-Gratzner. The crew was in a hurry to leave, no one liked to stay on Earth long. Riddick put down his boarding money and was led to a cryo-locker. He felt the cryo-sleep begin to overtake him as soon as the door shut. He only began to wonder why before he was pushed into sleep.  
  
Deia looked outside. It was nearing dusk and the Eternity would be leaving soon. She managed to get her feet underneath her and slowly made her way out of the room. Luckily, the ship docked just a few blocks away. She would make it if she didn't stop too many times. Gritting her teeth against the pain she walked down the street.  
  
Riddick didn't see the woman stagger onto the Eternity. He didn't see her pay for a locker or the way she clutched her stomach when she walked. Seeing her injury, the captain allowed her to be put in a med-locker. Her injury wouldn't be healed when she reached her destination but it wouldn't be open and raw the way it was now. Riddick didn't see the hurt and anger in her eyes that wasn't caused by pysical pain alone.  
  
The pain had almost overtaken her. She let out a sigh of relief as she leaned against the wall of her locker. Soon, she thought. Soon the sleep would overtake her.  
  
Deia had never been so grateful in her life.  
  
She awoke as the ship lurched to a halt. Gripping her stomach she exhaled. Deia hadn't thought that the pain would still be so bad. Checking under the bandage, she saw that although still an angry red it was no longer bleeding...thankful for small favors, she thought. Deia opened the door and got out. She was walking toward the exit when she saw him. He was wearing very expensive clothing and had on a wig. But it was still him. Riddick.  
  
Riddick was nearing the open ramp when he smelled her. Blood and woman. He turned and met Deia's gaze. It was her. 


	6. Hunter

Riddick studied her standing there. She had no business being out of the hospital, she could barely stand. He quickly began to walk toward her. He pulled one of her arms over his shoulder and began to walk toward the exit again. Deia struggled in his grasp and muttered choice curse words just loud enough for him the hear. Glancing at her, he said: "Arguements later, we go now."  
  
"But I don't want to go with you." Deia looked Riddick in the face. It was a lie but he didn't have to know that. As hurt by him as she was the thought of going without him was more painful.  
  
"You didn't want to go with me the first time either." He smirked. "I'm making a job of kidnapping you. Besides look around. We're on Vargas. A woman like you would last, but since you're injured I wouldn't give you a week before you were killed." Deia looked at her surroundings with a new light. Vargas was famous for housing criminals that had escaped from prison, especially the Slam. Even mercs paused before coming to this planet.  
  
"Where are we going? I can walk on my own you know." He just grunted and kept walking. "Great. I'm being taken by a man who grunts at me and expects me to understand."  
  
Riddick looked sidelong at her and almost grinnned. "We're getting off of this planet."   
  
"But we just got here. Who wouldn't want to spend a vacation on a planet of criminals who are itching to kill someone?" Deia watched as a man fell in front of her, a gunshot wound to the back of the neck. "Maybe I spoke too soon. When are we leaving?"  
  
He stopped before a small ship. It was barely bigger than a skiff but looked well-built and could probably house three or four people. "Right now." The ship was called the Hunter, both in reference to Riddick's nature and the Hunter-Gratzner.  
  
Helping Deia into the co-pilot's seat, Riddick disappeared for a moment. He came back and handed her two large pills. "What is this?"  
  
"An equivelent to morphine. It will help your pain but you will still be fully aware." Deia nodded and popped them in her mouth. She went to explore the rest of the ship, needing to use the facilities horribly. After she found the bathroom she saw there were 4 small bedrooms. "Thank God for beds." Lockers were great for long traveling but they could be a little much sometimes. She came to what would be Riddick's room, judging by the shiv on the bed. She walked to the bed and sat on it. Taking the shiv, Deia twirled it between her hands. Getting up, she tossed the shiv on the bed and walked out.  
  
Riddick manned the controls, setting the course for auto-pilot. "What's on the agenda, fearless leader?" Riddick stared out of the front of the Hunter. "I'm going to visit an old friend." 


	7. Good-bye

Deia stared at the planet through the viewing screen. She put on a pair of sunglasses that she had found in her room. They weren't her old ones but they were close. It had three suns. She jolted when she realized where they were.  
  
"Riddick, why did you come back here?" He was silent for so long that she thought he was ignoring her question. "Just had to say good-bye." He sounded so sad.  
  
"Well, I'll going to go...somewhere else." Deia quickly made her exit. She, invariably, made her way back to Riddick's room. It comforted her even more than her own. Flopping down on the bed, stomach first, she looked around. The room was so bare. The shiv was still on the bed. He probably sleeps with it, she thought, rolling her eyes. Lord, but the man loved his shivs.  
  
Riddick grinned momentarily. He imagined Deia on her way to his room even now. He knew that she visited, he could smell her on his bed. He shifted, suddenly a little uncomfortable. A vision of her tangled in his sheets was interupted by something he heard.  
  
"DEIA!" Jerked from her reverie, she jumped up. Well, that's new. If you want to make people quiver in fear just bellow their name. Quickly, she made her way to the cockpit.  
  
Riddick was standing there, head cocked like he was listening to something. "Can you hear that?" Deia stopped walking and listened. Even with their sensitive hearing they could barely make it out. Riddick moved to the control panel and tried to magnify the noise. It worked and suddenly they heard exactly what it was. "That's an SOS, isn't it?" Deia looked at Riddick. "Is someone alive down there?"  
  
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." Moving toward the controls he prepared to enter the atmosphere. Deia quickly moved to strap herself in. "Great, I guess I'm going along for the ride. I've always wanted to visit Hell," Deia grumbled to herself. Riddick pulled out a pair of goggles and adjusted them on his face.  
  
The landing was swift and easy. "Are you ready for this?" Riddick studied her carefully. Deia pulled a bottle from her pants and quickly swallowed two pills. "Ready as I'll ever be." The ramp began to lower and light streamed over both of their faces.  
  
Riddick had landed right next to the Hunter-Gratzner. They walked in through the emaciated back end. "Sure enough. Someone came in here and set off the emergency signal. All we have to do is find them...if they are still alive." Riddick walked back out of the ship with Deia following close behind.  
  
A pair of squinted eyes followed them from their vantage point inside one of the cryo-lockers. Sighing dully, she thought: Am I dreaming again? 


	8. Perfection

She watched them go by. It was Riddick. And the woman...she looked so familiar. It was Riddick. She went over that night again in her mind.  
  
//She felt something stab through her back. She tried to smile at Riddick, to let him know that it was okay. Then she had been snatched away. Fighting the damned thing was hard. But eventually she slid off of her impaler and fell to the ground.  
  
She must have blacked out. She awoke next to the Coring Room. Just in time to watch the skiff taking off. "Oh, God, no...don't leave me alone to die on this fuckin' planet." She looked up as something swooped over her. It was one of them. Probably smelled her blood and was coming to finish her off. It landed over her and was leaning forward when suddenly it stopped, hesitating. With an enraged squeal it flew away. Carolyn watched as the sun came up.  
  
She had water and shelter. There was dried food left on the ship that she could eat and plenty left in the settlement. Her stab wound would soon become stiff with congealed blood and if it didn't rip open should heal fairly quickly. She even thought enought to set off the SOS signal on the ship.//  
  
That was nine months ago. Nine months of staring at the sky and wondering if someone was going to come for her or if she would die here. Slowly, stiffly, she got up from her hiding place and exited the ship. Nine months of dreaming of Riddick. She still heard him saying it: "Not for me." It echoed over and over in her mind. She imagined the pain that her light-hearted words had caused him/  
  
//Come on, Riddick. I said I'd die for them, not for you...not for you...not for you...//  
  
Riddick had scented her in the ship. He wasn't stupid enough to think that she had lived. Deia had no such qualms though. She stopped and inhaled deeply. She smelled something alive. Then the wind shifted and it got stronger. She turned to look.  
  
What she saw was a tanned, emaciated figure. Wearing shredded clothing and desperately in need of a bath. Her hair was longer but badly matted. She would recognize that face anywhere. "Carolyn." Something flashed in Deia's eyes that wasn't friendly.  
  
Riddick didn't want to believe. He had built Carolyn up into a type of angel, a larger than life being who had involuntarily sacrificed herself for him. Nonetheless, she was here and he couldn't simply take back the last hours to live in ignorance. He moved toward Carolyn and lifted her into his arms. She was alive.  
  
Deia was piloting the ship. She had been volunteered. After all, Riddick and Carolyn had to have some private time to talk. She didn't want to be bitter about this, but she didn't want to share Riddick with anyone. Especially not Fry, best friend or no, she was still competition. And there was no doubt in Deia's mind who he would choose. Fry was perfect in his eyes. A tear slid down her cheek. How does one complete with perfection? 


	9. His shiv

Deia heard footsteps coming toward her. "Carolyn wants to see you." She winced at the way Riddick's voice caressed her name. "Fine, I could use a break." Walking to the back, she peeked in the only open door. Riddick's room. Deia looked down to the floor and closed her eyes. She would be in there, of course.   
  
Carolyn must have heard her coming. She was sitting up on the bed and looking toward the door. "Deianira." She studied her old friend closely, stunned by her cold posture.  
  
"Carolyn." Deia walked slowly to the bed and sat down beside her. She saw as Carolyn's eyes widened when her gaze fell to Deia's eyes. "It's like looking at him through you. I knew you went to Slam but it never really sunk in," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around Deia, before she could protest. "I missed you so much." Deia tensed and didn't relax again until Carolyn's arms fell away.  
  
Seeing the hurt in her eyes, she felt compelled to explain. "It's nothing personal. You have to get used to being touched again. After being in the Slam. The women..." She trailed off as the ship was jarred suddenly and they both heard Riddick cuss violently. "Stay here, Carolyn. I'll be back."  
  
Deia ran down the short hallway. She fell hard against the wall as the ship bounced again. "Riddick, what the fuck is going on? If I didn't think you could handle it I would have stayed..." she trailed off when she saw what was on the viewing screen. A merc ship. A big one.  
  
The Hunter wasn't built to take this kind of strain, Riddick thought. I've got to land her somewhere. He checked their coordinates. They were still closest to Vargas. Damnit, he didn't want to go back there. There was no other choice really. Soon the ship would be dead in the air and they would be caught.  
  
He veered toward the planet and opened the throttle. It was going to be a rough landing. Deia ran to Carolyn and told her they were in for a rough landing. "I can take take of myself." Deia then returned to the cockpit and the copilot's seat. "Vargas here we come."  
  
"Riddick go get Carolyn. As soon as we land I want you to take her and run. I can hold them off for awhile." Flipping a switch, she took control of the ship. Riddick was stunned. "No, I'm not going to leave you behind," he growled. Deia looked at Riddick and said: "I'm not giving you a choice. Go get her. We don't all have to die today."  
  
Then they crashed. Deia and Riddick both quickly took off their straps. Deia grabbed Riddick and fiercely kissed him. "I love you." Their eyes met and for a moment they just stood there. "Now go." They heard the merc ship's engine, it was preparing to land.  
  
Riddick ran for Carolyn and the exited the ship just as the merc ship crashed. Good. The dust and confusion might help cover their escape.  
  
Deia calmly walked to Riddick's room. His shiv was still there. She gripped it in her hand and waited. She heard them enter the ship. She listened as they blew door after door open. Then there was an explosion and they came for her. Deia lunged for the door and felt a bullet pierce her leg. She returned the favor and buried the shiv deep in a man's throat. In the hallway, there were half a dozen mercs. She waded into them and started cutting. Then they realized they were dying they began to open fire. Deia felt bullet and laser alike cutting into her skin. One laser cut her beneath the breasts as in her dream. She felt herself begin to fall. I did the best I could do, she thought. It's up to them now. I love you. 


	10. Finale: An Angel

Hours later, Riddick crept back into the Hunter. Carolyn was in a safe place, he didn't want to have to worry about her. The mercs had long since gone. No doubt to lick their wounds and bury their dead.  
  
Riddick felt his throat tighten as he entered the hall. The walls and floor were splashed with blood. When he saw her he began to gag. She was covered in blood. He walked closer and kneeled before her. He placed his hand over her face, closing her eyes. "Deia..." Then he saw his shiv in her hand. That was all she had used to defend herself. He carefully lifted her up and cradled her against his chest, trying not to look at the many bullet-holes and burns that graced her skin. He concentrated on memorizing her face. He shifted his arms and brushed his lips across her forehead as if she could somehow feel it.  
  
He had felt her jealousy of Fry and now that it was too late, cursed himself for not doing something to show her how much he cared. "I'm so sorry. I..." He wanted to say that he loved her, but even now, alone and in darkness he couldn't form the words.  
  
He began to carry her off the ship, but he stopped suddenly. There was something shining on the ground. He picked it up and shoved it in his pocket. He carried her body until he found a cemetary. He walked through all the graves, noticing those with angels and those small and unadorned. Riddick walked until he got the the very back. Carefully setting Deia down in the grass, he walked back to an unfinished gravesite. There was a shovel stuck into the top of a mound of dirt and he borrowed it. Then he began to dig.  
  
Riddick came back the next morning before the cemetary opened. He was lugging a small stone with him. He walked back to the very back and placed it at the top of a freshly dug grave. It read:  
  
A True Angel  
Kidnapped   
From Heaven  
My Deia  
  
Running his hand over the newly-cut stone, Riddick allowed himself a few tears. This woman had died for him, believing he loved another. "All for me...Good-bye, Deia." He pulled something from his pocket, placed it on her headstone. As he walked away he looked up and saw a bird. It was bright blue and astonishing in its beauty.  
  
The first patron of the cemetary that morning was visiting his wife's grave, when something flashed in the distance. He began to walk and found himself in front of a lonely grave in the back. He read the headstone and bent over, running his fingers over it. There appeared to be some sort of a knife embedded in the stone. He then saw what had glinted in the sun. At the very base of the headstone was a pair of sunglasses. 


End file.
